“Lord, Teach Us to Pray”

Voices constantly scream at us with urgent demand, including our own anxieties. How is it that only a third of Catholics believe in the Eucharist? How am I supposed to evangelize a culture that is increasingly hostile to truth? Is there a parish program that will actually ensure people will stay in the pews? This article seeks to bring whatever questions and anxieties exist regarding parish ministry to the Lord and prayerfully discern what is God’s voice amid the chaos of contemporary parish ministry. The focus of this article is developing the spiritual life of the parish by reflecting on prioritizing the seven petitions/desires Jesus teaches us to have in the “Our Father.”

The best starting point for any serious conversation about a “program” for parish ministry is prayer; this is especially true of discussing the principles for fostering deep spiritualities in the lives of faithful Catholics. “Come, Holy Spirit, and teach us how to pray.” (Pause . . .) St. Benedict, in his Rule for monks, began with Proverbs 4:20: “Listen carefully my child, to your master’s precepts, and incline the ear of your heart.” The amazing goodness of God is that He created us freely, and in such a way that we are meant to live in intimate relationship with Him. God initiates a relationship with us and invites us to freely reciprocate His love. This truth is the basis on which parish life is based. God begins, guides, and draws; we receive, cooperate, and respond. Thus, effective parish leadership is born primarily from a spirit of docility to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, regardless of legitimate natural talents. It is therefore impossible to develop a successful “program” or universal plan to be enacted in any parish because such a “program” would necessarily miss the first step of prayer and discerning the voice of God in all the particularities of a Church community. Instead of proposing a program, the following is a suggestion of first principles that may be helpful to a pastor in developing a particular plan for fostering lay spiritual life in a parish.

First principles can only be identified after defining the subject of inquiry. What, then, is lay spirituality? What is Catholic spirituality? What even is spirituality? In his book Introduction to the Spiritual Life, Louis Bouyer seeks to answer these questions. There is perhaps a temptation to avoid answering these questions altogether to dodge the supposed danger of “getting too philosophical.” Perhaps it would be best to keep this discussion on the profound yet simple level of God’s love and desire for us to be in relationship with Him. On the other hand, discernment is possible only by comparing a voice to the standard of truth. So it seems that for now, a short peer into the philosophical may be necessary.

To begin, Bouyer distinguishes interiority, spirituality, and religiosity.¹ By itself, interiority is consciousness, an awareness of self, developing or surrendering autonomy. The existentialism of Jean-Paul Sartre comes to mind as an example of an interior life devoid of religion or the spiritual (although existentialism without God commonly results in no interiority and instead a slavish life of sensuality). Spirituality is the personal recognition of the supernatural (though not necessarily a conscious recognition) with a yearning for what is beyond the self. There is a weird branch of psychology that seeks to achieve a kind of healing and enlightenment through natural spiritualism. By itself, religiosity is ritualism, a life of patterned practices that often seek a desired effect. A sailor’s superstitious rituals take on an almost religious tone as he seeks to appease some chaotic force through complex rules of do’s and don’ts. Bouyer seems to correctly observe that in the natural progression of things, interiority should lead to a spiritual life which in turn leads to a religious life.²

Authentic Catholic spirituality is rooted in the reality that God the Creator speaks to the hearts of men. This is why Bouyer spends so much time talking about the Word of God. The Word of God is a Person, spoken by the Father and made incarnate in Scripture to be heard by the hearts of men. The Word cannot simply be heard in the auditory sense but must be grasped interiorly by a human heart that is opened to receive the Word by a spiritual power, namely, the Holy Spirit. Thus, the whole Trinity is involved in the authentic spiritual life of all Catholics.

Catholic spirituality is thus the personal recognition of the Triune God as supremely transcendent other and as imminently real and near to the self, eliciting a yearning to be intimately united to God who is Love. The yearning for God becomes so real that it must be expressed physically, and thus religious expression naturally follows from authentic Catholic spirituality. In the Person of Jesus Christ, the Word Made Flesh, God has revealed the kind of religious expression He desires, a life of love and most especially a liturgical life of the Mass and the Sacraments that flow from the care of the Church. Thus far, the first principles for Catholic spirituality are: God initiates by speaking His love to us; spirituality is rooted in Trinitarian love; and this love naturally leads to religious expression, especially in the Mass and the Sacraments entrusted to the Church. The ultimate expression of yearning for God is to offer oneself completely to God. Therefore, everything that makes up a person becomes incorporated into his spirituality (work, leisure, relationships, etc.).

Many other truths could be expressed as principles of spiritual life. But for now, there is one more dual principle that is important for this discussion, namely, that the Catholic spiritual life is both personal and communal. Authentic spirituality must, by definition, be personal, informed by God but freely chosen by the individual. Yet, because man was created as a social animal, his communal nature must also be incorporated into his spirituality and cannot be authentically expressed apart from incorporation into the Body. Thus, Catholic spirituality is only possible for those who are members. This is a real and potent spiritual principle. One cannot have a Catholic spirituality and be separated from the Church either by lack of Baptism or by sinning against faith.

These principles are beautiful and worthy of contemplation, but how do they help with fostering the spiritual lives of the people of God? The three principles are a description of prayer; God speaks, we receive, we are transformed, and we respond. A better way to ask the question is: How can the parish be a place that fosters individual conversion such that a person makes the turn and freely chooses to receive God’s Word and be transformed by it? Ultimately, a parish will never be a place of transformation if it fails in first principles. Humility is essential! Discern carefully whether any decision is made with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

At this point, I’d like to turn the conversation into a discussion of priorities. The concept of organizing a parish implies that various goods are ordered to particular ends. The focus of this article is the proper ordering of a parish for lay spiritual flourishing. Spirituality is rooted in a relationship with Christ, which is fostered by prayer. Therefore, it is fitting to ask Jesus along with the disciples, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Lk 11:1). Stop; listen; what does Jesus say? “When you pray, say Father . . .” (Lk 11:2). Prayer is first and foremost a relationship. A million things could be said without exhausting the beauty and depth of the universal prayer. For our conversation, we will look to the Our Father as a model for setting priorities in how we organize parish life based on the seven petitions.

First Petition: “Hallowed be Thy Name.” The word “hallowed” is rather foreign to contemporary American sentiment. The word means to make something holy or consecrated. Returning to a scriptural sense of holiness would make a riveting conversation and would include a deep dive into Leviticus and salvation history. For the sake of brevity, we should think of holiness as a transcendental attribute of God (not easily defined) and we should understand that things are holy or made sacred by being set apart for God’s purposes. The Name of God is in itself already sacred. Thus, the first petition we ask of our Father is not that He make His Name sacred, but that we “make” His Name sacred in our life and prayer.³

The process of sanctification implies purification (the ancient distinction between clean and unclean) and consecration (setting aside for the worship of God). Therefore, the priority of the parish is to sanctify itself through daily life and prayer touched by the Holy Body of Christ. The Levitical priesthood sanctified by bloody sacrifices and cereal offerings. The parish sanctifies by the Sacrifice of Jesus offered to the Father for all.

More concretely, the question a pastor should be asking is, in what way is this ministry, liturgical action, or aspect of the parish giving praise to God’s Name and sanctifying God’s people? If the liturgical art (or lack thereof) is in some way contrary to the worship of God’s Name and the sanctification of His people, get rid of it. Sanctification requires participation in the Cross. Ministry of the Renewal of Cruciformity is therefore at the front of a properly ordered parish.⁴ Ultimately, the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing, Matrimony, and Holy Orders are the supreme way in which the Church sanctifies her children for the Father. The Liturgy of the Hours also sanctifies the hours of the day and is essential to a pastor’s ministry. Thus, the sacramental life of the Church is the highest priority of the parish.

Second Petition: “Thy Kingdom Come.” The Kingdom of God is Christ Himself.⁵ Sanctifying liturgical items and the people of God in the Old Testament was to make things able to be in the Presence of God. The pastor of a parish should ask himself: Do we desire Christ’s Presence among us? Are we receptive to God’s Presence or are there things we have or do that are hostile to God being Present to us? Is it possible that some of our ministries are led by a spirit of egoism that is contrary to God’s loving presence?

After the priority of the Cruciform Ministry, the second priority is the Ministry of Presence. Not the egocentric messiah-complex ministry of the pastor being the center of everyone’s life, but the availability of a priest who is a vessel of the Holy Spirit and who makes Christ Present to others. Without forgetting the first principles of discernment, regular Eucharistic Exposition may be the most excellent means for increasing Christ’s Presence among us. Unlocked church doors and times for prayerful silence are also high priorities.

Third Petition: “Thy Will be Done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.” What is the Will of the Father, but that all men be saved? Is this not what Christ exemplified for us when He prayed in His Agony in the garden? To be saved means to be restored to a relationship with God. The Will of Christ expressed in the High Priestly prayer was for unity.⁶ Unity primarily with God, but also unity among all believers. In what way is the parish organized to bring about unity? Is the parish an image of Heaven? What aspects of the parish mar the image of the heavenly Jerusalem that the parish is called to be? Is there severe disunity among the faithful? If secular society permits, is there harmony between the parish community and the secular community?

Fourth Petition: “Give us this Day our Daily Bread.” People are hungry for God and are humanly needy! How are we feeding people? Are we fostering and incorporating the spiritual works of mercy in our daily parish life? Skillful listening is required of the pastor to ascertain what kinds of hunger people have in the community. In some ways, the purpose of the parish council is precisely for helping the pastor listen for signs of spiritual and material poverty. There are many people today who are lonely and disconnected from real-life-giving relationships. How can the Church offer a place of encounter on both a human and spiritual level? Young couples are struggling to live sacramental married lives. People are so filled with fear and anxiety that they are crying out for peace and freedom. How can the parish be a place that soothes fear by offering the Peace of Jesus Christ? This is an area for ongoing discernment as needs come and are met.

Fifth Petition: “Forgive us our Trespasses as we Forgive those who Trespass Against us.” As tempting as it is to write this petition off as something that can be completely encapsulated by preaching and offering more opportunities for the Sacrament of Penance, some serious questions need to be posed in today’s context of parish life. Considering the scandals that have plagued the Church, what is the parish doing to make reparations and bring about healing? Are we praying for those who seek to undermine the Gospel and vandalize the Church? Are we prepared to love those who persecute us and teach our parishioners to do likewise? Are the pastor and parish staff humble enough to admit when they are wrong and when mistakes have been made? Sin generates chaos and suffering. How is the parish going to be a place of order and healing? The pastor should regularly practice acts of penance for the forgiveness of sins and invite his people to do likewise. Perhaps there is even a way for the parish staff to do communal penance, especially during penitential seasons.

Sixth Petition: “Lead us not into Temptation.” Temptations and distractions abound in this world. The parish should feel like a place of peace from all the noise of the world. What aspects of the parish are contributing to noise? What aspects of the parish are fostering interior silence? As the parish community grows in spiritual life, individuals may find that they want a means of deepening their spirituality. Is the parish able to offer retreats and catechesis on silence and lay contemplative life?⁷ Are there resources in the diocese that can offer retreats? Is there an opportunity to train and promote a deliverance prayer team? Are there ways for people to pray for one another? Temptations can come from hubris during good times and insecurity during trials. What resources are being provided to those during their good times to foster their reliance on God? What resources can the parish offer to those in times of trial, especially those who are homebound, hospitalized, or imprisoned?

Seventh Petition: “But Deliver us from Evil.” Satan is at work in the world and will be particularly wrathful at the good fruit born of a parish full of spiritual warriors for Christ. The pastor and shepherd of the flock must always be on the lookout for wolves, false prophets, evil spirits, and antichrists who devour and lead the flock astray. For the safety of the flock, there can be no tolerance for evil! That being said, careful discernment and prudence must be employed. A person who seems to be a false prophet may simply be ignorant; with some catechesis, this person may become a zealous and effective true prophet of Christ. What are the evils/threats to the parish community? What is the real source of the evil? How can the evil threat be removed without causing harm to those the evil may be attached to? Ultimately, prayer is the answer. Jesus, Savior of the World, deliver us from all evil.

Jesus teaches us to pray, and all prayer begins with an invitation from God to enter a new and deeper relationship with Him in Love. If you have a desire to bring others closer to Christ, thoughtfully consider asking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to direct you in how you can be an instrument in fostering lay Catholic spirituality in your parish community. “Lord, teach us to pray.” The Our Father with its seven petitions is a powerful prayer, inexhaustible in its richness. When you pray with the Our Father, what moves you? How are you going to use the Our Father as a model for the parish?